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Savannah-Chatham County interim Police Chief Julie Tolbert told county commissioners Friday she does not want to lead the department permanently.

Responding to questioning posed by Commissioner Yusuf Shabazz, who asked whether she wants the job of police chief without the interim title, Tolbert said: “That is not my desire, no sir. The interim for now is more than enough.”

It was the first time Tolbert, who two weeks ago replaced former Chief Willie Lovett who retired amid allegations of sexual harassment and racial discrimination, has publicly stated she does not intend to seek the position on a permanent basis.

Savannah City Manager Stephanie Cutter has said hiring a new police chief is expected by next October.

Community input will be sought in the meantime, and the application period will start either in February or March.

Tolbert is a 32-year veteran with the department who previously served as commander of special operations following other assignments throughout the department.

Since taking over as interim chief, Tolbert has made a series of personnel changes, including placing two officers named in a 2010 federal police corruption probe, as well as a captain implicated in a sexual harassment complaint against Lovett, on paid administrative leave.

Most recently she promoted Southside Precinct Capt. Dean Fagerstrom to major following other command staff changes.

It’s customary for the police chief to brief the commission monthly on the topic of public safety. Friday was Tolbert’s first appearance before commissioners as interim chief. She was joined by Acting Assistant Police Chief Terry Enoch, who previously served as director of the Savannah Impact Program.

Individual commissioners took time to congratulate the two on their recent appointments and offered words of encouragement.

Commissioner James Holmes quipped that the first time he had seen Tolbert — who was sporting the requisite police chief white uniform dress shirt — in white was at her baptism.

“This is another baptism,” he said. “It’s just on another level.”

Commissioner Lori Brady voiced concerns about some crimes being up this year.

The most recent department crime report for the week ending Sept. 28 showed that of all violent crimes aggravated assault with a gun was up 17.9 percent compared to the same time last year. Residential burglaries, shopliftings and auto thefts were also up.

Tolbert said she and other senior department personnel plan to attend neighborhood meetings in the coming days. She also pledged to respond quickly to reports of crime. Already, she and Enoch have met with commanders and precinct officers throughout the department to hear their recommendations. Many of their days over the past week have started at 6:30 a.m.

Tolbert acknowledged the department has not always responded as it should to the concerns of residents. However, that will change as the department next week will examine what direction it should go in preparation of new leadership, she said.

“We recognize that we are not going to be able to solve crime issues alone,” Tolbert told commissioners. “It is a partnership, and we will absolutely be as honest as we can possibly be about everything that is going on.”

In other business, commissioners heard from about half a dozen residents of Marsh Bluff Drive off President Street, who are upset at the county’s response to a broken sewer line in their subdivision.

They accused the county of reacting slowly, as well as brashly by threatening to place liens on properties if the residents didn’t get the problem fixed.

The residents and county were at odds over who was responsible for repairing the problem due to uncertainty over its cause.

Residents thought the main sewer line might be at fault, which would make the county responsible for the fix. A problem with a lateral sewer line connection to a house is the responsibility of the homeowner.

Robert Drewry, director of Public Works and Park Services, told commissioners repairs to a broken main lateral line have since been made by the county at no charge to the residents.

Commission Chairman Al Scott said a follow up with staff on how to better address such issues will be made.

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I telephoned the state AG about this NFBPA business. The whole thing is outrageous. The impression I got is that while Obama is in office, the tigers are out of the cage.

Is it racial? Yes, it is racial because the proponents of the NFBPA made it racial and are using the same to extort government and by extension, the general populace. My objection was based not on the fraternal organisation, but on using government monies to pay the membership fees. It is like free-range corruption. I wonder who will confront it and when? It would make a lot more sense for the members of this organisation to pay their own dues fees. But the whole set-up is just astoundingly foul and is an attractor to persons who do not have their ethical house in order, who are willing to play mute about ethics and use government to use and abuse the populace. Will it take 50 years to remedy? 100? 5?

Lack of ethics is a booby-trap because it attracts people who want to game the system and resulting that the priority is not capacity to do the required job. And besides, capable serious workers do not want to work alongside people gaming the system who will then subvert or otherwise intimidate the capable workers. It is a land of make-believe, this week I'll be the engineer and you can be the policy person. Next week, you can be the engineer and I will be the policy person. There is a lot of that around here.

If you want to make a litmus test, it is easy to do, see who has the credentials, although I stumbled into a situation here where a person (born here, of course) with proper credentials was/is a complete and utter crook, and had invented an angle to get other people to pay them for a required "extra" that they had invented. It is so foul, the only thing I can say is "Avoid." It is definitely a pox on the area evidenced by the high rate of poverty. A challenging situation.

PS I recommend electing a state AG who will do their job. The local issue is reflected in the quality of state government. There are a lot of political gamers and show persons. Apparently in Georgia, the counties and cities are left to sort it out for themselves and there is little outside governance, not a very fair situation to leave the rural peoples so open to exploit.

edit: It creates an imbalance to allow the NFBPA to extort local government. The long term result is a sorting process, where black professionals gravitate toward government, and non-black professionals gravitate toward private business since they are excluded from government. It is an imbalanced situation, whereas non-black persons should have representation in government, and black persons should participate in the personal power and road to riches that is competitive private non-government business.

I noted in a television interview that the new Acting-chief seemed very articulate and capable, but it was odd in that the interview was based in asking personal questions and talking about their self, the path of their life. I was left with an uncomfortable feeling that personal trajectory "stardom in action" comes before mission. In other words, there was zero clearly stated mission or what is the job to be done. It is like the person is plugged into the bureaucracy, one day is the next day, so the only thing to talk about is "me."

It fits a pattern here of so many multigens occupied with themselves, their want, their need, what they want, and it often gets pretty shrill. Lot of "needy" folk here, like the whole town has an inferiority complex, like the news lady making jokes because she can not pronounce basic world-art music terms associated with philharmonic. Jeeze, lady, go take a French or music class, learn the basics. Or pack your bags and get out of here and see some of the world. And do not use the government to pay for your vacation and call it a diplomatic mission to a faraway land.

The commissioner has extremely poor boundaries and a lack of respect for personal spirituality. It is part of the local authority salad where you just mix everything up and combine it. Dear commissioner, any government employee's religion is their own business in their personal life, and you ought not comment on it in reference to their work. The same go for local judges who give you a lecture on Sunday school when resolving a traffic ticket involving their over-active police taking money from people who do not have the freedom to just drive down the road and do their business. It is like some of these local governing officials have seen too many armadillos and think they can cross lines and stick their snout into anything.

Unkind? Yes. Truthful? Absolutely. It is also unkind to have a local official project their world onto everyone around them and be fully grown adults with poor boundaries who do not hesitate to ignore the boundaries of other people.

Everybody has an opinion. That's the beauty of living in America..........you can say (almost) anything you want- good, bad, ugly, rude, disrespectful and it's okay. No regard for anyone's feelings (as long as it's not you or your family). Interim Chief Tolbert does have the right and privilege to state if she wants to seek the position, or not. If those of you who complain in this forum (and most of it is complaints, not solutions) can do a better job, then please step forward!!!! Otherwise, Hush!!!

Government workers have a unique responsibility to work for and represent all of the people on equal terms. Due to the unique conditions of working in government, particularly director level persons are available to commentary. In the best circumstances, this is with the goal of quality government, which is a pretty simple idea and generally involves following the rules, which are supposed to be sensible, known, and codified (clearly written) into law.

When the position is advertised, Bob Merriman can submit his application just like everybody else. There is no need for Council to make a trip to his office, lest they get their chops busted on this forum on wasting tax payer dollars for an unnecessary trip. Since interim police chief Julie Tolbert has said via this newspaper she won't apply for the job, maybe she will agreed to put it in writing. It is obvious that some who are posting on this forum won't be satisfied until she does just that. Tim Svoren, what pair of commandments were you given? "Dear commissioner......" What a hoot!

Bob Merriman would give the City of Savannah the time of day. If I were Bob Merriman and was treated the way he was by the City of Savannah, I'd tell the City of Savannah right where to go and how to get there!

He would walk in the St Patrick's Day Parade in perfect uniform and marched like he was a General ahead of the SPD. He also kept his troops inline, and an asset to Savannah. Yea, we need another like him.

The worst Chief was David Gellatly. Language salty as a bitter old man, and in charge of 11 Police officers indicted for drug conspiracy. The Cocaine Cops. How he kept his job is surreal considering he was the top cop.